30 GEARS June/July 2002

I
f youre the meaty hands on type
that yearns to bang through the
gear box, you may as well go onto
the next article, the new BMW 7 series
is not for you. Drivers need only ten-
derly touch a myriad of controls and off
they go. Really.
Lets start with the ignition key, or
lack of one. The small rectangular
remote fob has not only the proverbial
lock, unlock, and pop the trunk func-
tions, but now also doubles as the key
and has its own parking slot on
instrumental panel. Once inserted, the
driver starts the engine by pushing an
adjacent button. Spiffy stuff, . . . if it
works.
While on a long-distance road trip,
our $75,695 test car developed a
burp and refused to start. Treating the
car like the stuffed electronic wonder it
was, I mused if it were just a little con-
fused just like computers get from
time to time. I simply turned off every
blessed bit and bob, pulled the fob,
grabbed a cup o Joe and patiently wait-
ed a few minutes. Fired right up on the
next attempt. A couple days later, it did
the same thing and so did I. BMW has
a little recon work to figure this out
because while I appreciate the car is
part of the media test fleet, the buyer
who plunks down 75 large will not be
so sympathetic.
Nevertheless, this small mishap
should not put a pale on an otherwise
magnificent piece of road machinery.
Turned out in Toledo blue, the new 745i
is a technostunner. Fitted with a 4.4-
liter V8 that employs a sophisticated
TECH SIDE
by Lance Wiggins
ON THE ROAD
by Landspeed Louise Ann Noeth
The 2002 BMW 7 Series,
the "touch and go" Touring Sedan
with
OTR-TECHSD7-02.qxd 6/3/02 11:28 AM Page 30
GEARS June/July 2002 31
combination of variable valve timing
and lift that virtually eliminates the tra-
ditional throttle by using an adaptable
intake tube length, the engine is rated at
325 horsepower and 330 lb-ft. of
torque.
The new powerplant is mated to
the worlds first production six-speed
automatic. Like a jet fighter, there is no
mechanical linkage, the transmission
shift-by-wire technology, all electrical-
ly actuated. The gearshift is practically
gone as well. The shift controls are
located behind the steering wheel want-
ing only a mere tap of the finger to put
the car in gear. Its an odd feeling,
exerting no more pressure than it takes
to call an elevator to get underway. In a
couple of days I was one with the
wires. GEARS Tech Editor Lance
Wiggins was equally impressed and
youll want to read his comments in
Tech Side immediately following my
report.
Lighter and more compact than the
5-speed it replaces its new type of con-
trol system, called Mechatronic, com-
bines hydraulic and electronic controls
inside the transmission case. Another
new feature is the ability to limit the
transmission permitting the driver to
perform controlled downshifting. This
is accomplished via the upper right-
hand button on the multifunction steer-
ing wheel, labeled L/D (for
Limit/Drive). Actuation of this button
puts the transmission in its limit
mode, which captures the gear current-
ly engaged as the highest gear the trans-
mission will reach (6th, 5th, 4th, etc.).
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OTR-TECHSD7-02.qxd 6/3/02 11:28 AM Page 31
Then, the driver may drop the
transmission down to L5, L4, L3, L2
and L1 by successively pressing either
of the twin shift buttons near the steer-
ing wheels rim. To return to normal
automatic operation, the driver need
only press the L/D button again.
Indications of all operations are easily
seen in a instrument cluster window
directly in front of the driver.
Additionally, a new feature called
Standby Control partially disengages
one of the internal clutches to reduce
fuel consumption and tendency to creep
during idling in gear. This automatic
hold feature automatically sustains
hydraulic pressure to the four wheel
brakes anytime the vehicle comes to a
stop, eliminating any tendency of the
vehicle to creep and comes in handy
when on a hill. When activated, the
electromechanical parking brake
engages automatically anytime the
engine is switched off and Auto P
appears in the instrument cluster if
Auto Hold is selected.
We havent the space to do justice
to all the marvelous innovations in the
7-series. Suffice it to say the car is so
chock full of manufacturing firsts, the
Society of Automotive Engineers voted
it Best Engineered Car for 2002.
Among the groups praises was the
MOST-based navigation and multime-
dia system. Nirvana for techies, but is a
head full for the average mortal.
Even the windshield wipers are
now electronically controlled and the
surface area cleaned has vastly
increased. In their parked position,
every three days or so the wipers move,
so that the rubber wiper blades do not
get set into a distorted position from
being stationary. What a waste. Anyone
who owns this mechanical marvel
would NEVER let it sit for three days.
Instrumentation has undergone a
radical reduction. I have mixed emotions
about how BMW handled it. Delighted
with the advancements, I pondered if
perhaps too much was changed too fast.
It took a few days to become comfort-
able spinning and tapping the main con-
trol dial to mostly get what I wanted out
of the center armrest mounted function
manager. The learning curve evoked
sporadic doses of amusement and frus-
32 GEARS June/July 2002
The 2002 BMW 7 Series
The 2002 BMW 7 Series
OTR-TECHSD7-02.qxd 6/3/02 11:52 AM Page 32
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2002 FORD MOTOR COMPANY

tration trying to change radio stations,
adjust volume, load in GPS tracked des-
tination, survey diagnostics, or read any
scale of map available on the rather
large CRT in the center of the dash.
Getting chummy with the multi-
tude of readouts for navigation, tele-
phone, climate control and entertain-
ment systems qualifies for an honors
course for which one ought to get a
gold star when deciphering some por-
tion of the matrix. At times I just gave
up after repeated, failed attempts to
bend the system to my will. Mercifully,
BMW left a traditional array of controls
(including a command center on the
steering wheel) for those who have a
longer learning curve.
I confess to falling apart in laugh-
ter when after verbally cussing out the
system for not complying with my
voice command and failing miserably
trying to find the control on the spin-
ning dial, the chocolately-smooth bari-
tone electronic voice activation finally
replied, pardon me?
34 GEARS June/July 2002
The 2002 BMW 7 Series
OTR-TECHSD7-02.qxd 6/3/02 11:41 AM Page 34
GEARS June/July 2002 35
by Lance Wiggins
1. How service friendly is the
transmission?
No need to service this ZF6HP26, this
is a service for life type of transmis-
sion with $25-50 dollar a quart fluid. If
it is necessary to remove the fluid
dont worry, the drain plug is on the
bottom of the pan and the filler is on
the passengers side.
TECH SIDE
$
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T-0100-MINI
$
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$
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T-0100-S
SYSTEMS
1 or 3 Phase Models
$
200REBATE
T-0100-ER26
1 or 3 Phase Models
$
200 REBATE
T-0100-HD SYSTEM
4 Models-1 or 3 Phase
Purchase Any Of These Washers Between
Now And August 31, 2002 To Qualify.
To Get A Rebate Form:
Call ATEC Or Visit Our Website
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MANUFACTURER
For Rebate & Product Information Visit
For Printed Catalog 800-531-5978
To Purchase, Ask For The ATEC Item #
From Your Distributor Or Tool Truck Dealer
OTR-TECHSD7-02.qxd 6/3/02 11:29 AM Page 35
2. How easy is it to Diagnose?
The diagnostic connector is located behind a small
panel on the drivers side kick panel. Using your scan
tool you may have to use the generic side to gain
access to the computer for diagnosis. There are many
computer operated features in and on this vehicle
including the voice activated computer in the dash.
You should be very accurate in diagnosing this vehi-
cle making sure not to overlook the obvious.
36 GEARS June/July 2002
The 2002 BMW 7 Series
The 2002 BMW 7 Series
ID PLATE
OBD II
OTR-TECHSD7-02.qxd 6/3/02 11:29 AM Page 36
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when theyre intro-
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allomatic7-02.qxd 5/30/02 4:54 PM Page 3
3. What special features are there?
Including the voice activated computer, ride control and
comfort that makes my bed look bad, this transmission has
a few things very unique to it. The shifter is electronically
controlled, a solenoid outside of the transmission is used to
pull the cable into a drive or reverse position. The comput-
er uses the solenoids in the transmission to operate the dif-
ferent gears up to and including the manual gears. This
transmission is a work of art and drives like youre floating
on air. Luxury at its best
38 GEARS June/July 2002
GENERAL
Curb weight, lb. 4376 4464
Weight distribution, front/rear, % 50.4/49.6
50.6/49.4
Wheelbase, in. 117.7 123.2
745i 745Li
ENGINE & ELECTRICAL
Engine type DOHC 32-valve (4-cam) V-8,
Valvetronic variable valve lift &
VANOS 2 variable valve timing 1
Power @ rpm, hp 325 @ 6100 1
Torque @ rpm, lb-ft. 330 @ 3600 1
DRIVETRAIN
Drive system Front engine/rear drive 1
Automatic transmission ZF 6HP26, 6-speed 1
Ratios: 1st 4.17:1 1
2nd 2.34:11
3rd 1.52:1 1
4th 1.14:1 1
5th 0.87:1 1
6th 0.69:1 1
Reverse 3.40:1 1
Final drive ratio 3.38:1 1
PERFORMANCE DATA
Acceleration, 0-60 mph, sec. 5.9 1
Top speed, mph 150 (electronically limited) 1
2002 BMW 7 SERIES
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
745i 745Li
The 2002 BMW 7 Series
SERVO SHIFTED MANUAL LINKLAGE
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